"Work-cation"

My sister-in-law texted this morning saying that she was wanting a blog post.  I thought that was sweet.  It motivated me to finish up our Mobile, Alabama post- I'm a week behind.  Thank you Christy :)

This post will be long (too many photos) boring (nothing too exciting) and annoying (I will be bragging on my husband- sorry!) to most of you.  But I hated not to include all of the photos for our memories.

So I apologize in advance for all of the rambling....  

You may remember me blogging HERE about Troy being invited to present a case at a conference in Mobile, Alabama.  He received the invitation a few months ago and has been working hard to perfect his case on Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Words can not begin to describe how tickled I was to be going with him.  I felt so special to be able to tag along.  Troy said it made a "work" trip feel more like a little vacation because we were together, and I couldn't agree more.  I counted my blessings the whole week we were gone.  I am thankful for a flexible job, which allows me to take off and go....  thankful to still be in this season of our lives (just the two of us), nothing to keep me here yet..... and of course thankful for my BRILLIANT (see- told you this post would be annoying) husband, and for all of his hard work, thus-the trip.  He blows my mind.

Our flight to Mobile, Alabama was out of Nashville, so we left a day early to make a stop at our favorite Nashville restaurant Demos', our favorite outlet mall..... and Troy's favorite movie theater.  

I stole Troy's line and told him that I had the movie theater rented out for him in celebration of his presentation. ;)  He tells me this every time we go to an empty theater.  

Unfortunately a few people showed up right before the movie started and ruined my plan :)  

After dinner and a movie we headed to the hotel.  Our favorite, Gaylord Opryland was booked, so we stayed near the airport so that we could park and fly.  This picture is for anyone that will ever park and fly in Nashville.  Avoid the Radisson Airport at all cost.  It was a dump :)

My family and close friends know how I am with hotels....   I'm borderline psychotic.  Maybe full on psychotic. I blame my mother- she's the same way.  I don't think Kandice or Matthew got the weird hotel gene.  An old, outdated, run down, dumpy, dirty, gross hotel can absolutely ruin my trip.  I don't consider myself to be nutty or picky about too many things in life, but hotels are my downfall.  I am also weird about the location of my room/view (no matter the hotel).  Troy will tell you that he has had to pull luggage all over an entire hotel until I find the perfect room.  Whenever we check in, he ask the desk clerk if they would mind to give us a few different keys so that I can see several options.  He is used to my hotel-psychoticness, and is so patient.

Anyhoo, when we walked into our room here, Troy immediately looked at me and said "it's fine honey...remember, it's just for one night."  My goal on this trip was to keep him as stress free and pampered as possible.  It was because of all of his hard work that we were going in the first place.  So I toughed it out :)  The funny thing is that I've rubbed off on my husband.  When we first got married, he would cover up in those gross comforters that they only wash twice a year...  and use the decorative pillows (that they NEVER wash!) to sleep on.  Ewwwww.  But now he even sees a dump (thank you Jesus) and admitted that if it had been for more then a night, we would have been going elsewhere.  We were excited to check out of the Radisson-dumpsite, as we now call it. :)

Troy threatens me with my life when I pack our bags.  I have gone over the 50 lb weight limit several times and we have had to begin "repacking" right in the middle of the airport.  We've even had to buy an extra bag in the airport gift shop.

Not this time!  Three pounds to spare!! I told him I wanted to go back for that extra pair of wedges he made me leave at home. :)  Thank you to mom and dad who put a hand held luggage scale in Troy's Christmas stocking this year to prevent further shenanigans. I knew we were good before we even left the house :)

Airport technology seems to update every time we travel.  Troy texted me my boarding pass and said to just let them scan my phone when we boarded the plane.  I thought he was nuts, but it worked.  So neat!

Have you seen the show on A&E called "Duck Dynasty?" 

The main character of the show was sitting in front of us on the airplane.  Several passengers had their picture taken with him, but I just snapped one as we walked by.  And a few of him messing with his luggage :) 

After a layover in Atlanta....  we arrived in Mobile, Alabama and headed for our hotel.

We stayed at the beautiful Marriott Renaissance Riverview Plaza, which was located right on the water.  The conference was being held within the hotel, which made it very nice.

We had a corner room with two walls of windows overlooking the bay.  And no.... I did not have to change rooms or hotels....  everything was perfect :)

The hotel was beautiful at night.  We walked around the lobby and over to the convention location.

After a loooong day of traveling, we piled up in the middle of the bed and ordered room service and watched the finale of American Idol.

Troy and I love everything about traveling....... room service being one of them :)

The next morning, Troy left bright and early for the first day of the conference.  He was not scheduled to speak until day 3, but attended all days.

While he went to the conference....  I went here...

After a beautiful day at the pool, I headed up to the room to be lazy.  I had not seen the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy and noticed that you could order it here in the room.....  for a pretty hefty fee.

But then my husband walked in and caught me ;o)

I asked him if the conference let out early.  He said no, they just had a few minutes break, so he came up to the room to see me for a minute.  That was quite the hike for just a quick hug.  I love him so much!

When he was finished for the day, we walked downtown Mobile.

We learned that downtown Mobile is kind of a sleepy little town.  Also a community that had been hit hard by the economy slump.  

We did stumble upon a quaint little pizzeria, and enjoyed a delicious Margherita pizza and a glass of wine. 

We walked Dauphine Street, and past the town square.  I love the Oak trees of the south!

And stopped for a scoop of gelato.

It was a very nice evening!

The next day Troy went on a "filed trip" with the conference to the University of South Alabama for meetings.

He returned looking like this :)

And took a short nap :)

We then went to do a little sight seeing.  Troy wanted to tour the USS Alabama Battleship.

We were on the battleship for over an hour, crawling, climbing and touring every inch of it.... so I thought.  When I originally read about touring the ship, I was most excited to see the bakery, the barber shop, the cafeteria, etc.  When we finished our marked tour, I asked Troy why we didn't see those things.  He said "well that was a different color tour- that was the green tour and we took the yellow."  I asked him why he chose yellow and he said "yellow was the weapons tour!  We were able to see all the guns this way!"  So much for my bakery.

We also toured a submarine, the USS Drum.

Touring both the battleship and the submarine was a very neat experience (even if I did miss the barber shop! :).  A very engaging and thought-provoking tour.  Being there Memorial Day weekend was also very special.  So proud to be an American!

That evening we attended the dinner banquet for the conference.

I sent plenty of text to my mom and the girls getting help with what to wear.  When I lived at home, I would always walk in to my mom's room and get her opinion on shoes, or whatever before leaving the house.  Now we just text pictures.  Here they helped me with jewelry :)

How handsome is my husband???

Troy's attending, Dr. Parker attended the conference as well.  We adore him!

Dr. Parker's wife made the trip the Mobile with him.  Her and I spent some time together at the pool one day, and also sat with them during the banquet.  I enjoyed Mrs. Parker so much!  She called our room the next day, to let me know that she enjoyed getting to spend time with me and felt so close to me, as though I was her daughter!?  Can you believe that?  This was the first time I had met her and I appreciated her being so nice to me.  Such a sweet lady.

The banquet was so nice.  At one point, I leaned over and whispered to Troy that we were the youngest people in the room.  These doctor's had been practicing for years... and Troy....just a resident.... was invited to present a case to them.  I'm sure it happens all the time- but I was so proud of him.

The next day was the big day....  Troy's presentation.  

He left early that morning, but wasn't scheduled to speak until 9:30.  I spent the morning plotting how I was going to sneak in and listen.  I got dressed and headed down early to find my enter/exit route.  I was not missing this.  Even if I had to steel a name tag.

I wanted so bad to take my nice camera to get a shot of him presenting, but I knew he would absolutely die if he heard the noise from the lens, so I left it in the room.  I wanted him to take me on the next work-cation :)

I did however, sneak these shots with my cell phone.

I spent the first half of the presentation a nervous wreck.  It felt like it was a thousand degrees in there, and I was sweating like a pig.  I was just so nervous for him.  But once I saw that he had it in the bag, and was UNBELIEVABLY comfortable- I got emotional.  Imagine that.  I had to tell myself to keep it together.... which I did.... but seeing my husband in all his glory just makes me swell with pride.  I couldn't help but to think of the week leading up to this moment....how nervous he had been, and how hard he had worked.  And to think that during his few minutes of break he would come up to the room to hug me...  or text me to makes sure I was okay and not too bored.  ??  He overwhelms me with his love .....

and brilliancy ;-).

After the presentation, he returned to the room to change.... and did this. 

The presentation wore ME out, so I can only imagine how he felt!

To celebrate his talk and the end of the conference, we went to a seafood restaurant on the water.

We learned earlier in the week that Mobile's known delicacy is fried crab claws.  

After lunch, we spent some time at the pool...

And ended the day with late night room service :)

This picture is for you honey... I told you I wouldn't delete it. :)

After six days away, we headed home.....

And my luggage weighed in with one pound to spare :)

Our first "work-cation" was a success!  

I love you Troy....  not only for taking me on this work trip, but for telling me repeatedly how much you not only enjoyed, but needed me there.  You are my everything.  

Love,

Kristin